Walkie-talked-inspired tech is the secret weapon behind Olympics security

Security staffers in and around Paris are relying on 4G push-to-talk technology to keep the Olympic Games safe.

• 5G is powering connectivity for the majority of the Paris Olympic Games.
• A 4G technology, push-to-talk, allows security, volunteers, and the Olympic committee to communicate.
• This article is part of "5G Playbook," a series exploring one of our time's most important tech innovations.

It's a massive undertaking to deliver clear and consistent Olympic Games broadcasts while serving an estimated 15 million attendees hungry for smartphone connectivity in Paris. The telecommunications company Orange — the sole internet provider for the Paris Games — has nearly 1,000 staffers running its 5G-connectivity project at the Olympics.

In addition to installing and operating its innovative and unprecedented 5G infrastructure at the Games, Orange is applying slightly dated 4G technology to power its security operations.

Most people in Paris use 5G, the fifth generation of mobile networking, to access the internet for the Olympics and beyond. But a small number of key staffers are using a 4G-powered walkie-talkie-style technology called push-to-talk.

Ensuring PTT communications are clear for all parties using the system is a top priority for Orange, according to Bertrand Rojat, Orange's chief marketing and innovation officer.

Rojat told Business Insider that 13,000 PTT devices were being used by emergency-services personnel and organizers throughout the Games. He said these devices use a "special mechanism" to give them priority over attendees who are using devices on the default public 4G network. Rojat did not provide more details on how the mechanism works but said it guarantees secure and readily available connectivity.

Communicating walkie-talkie style

PTT is a 20-year-old technology that works in a similar way to walkie-talkies.

It's a two-way radio communication system in which the user pushes a button to switch from receiving voice messages across a frequency to broadcasting their own voice messages.

Walkie-talkie-style systems like PTT are often used in a public-safety capacity, such as with firefighting and emergency services, where relaying information quickly and clearly is essential.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, PTT services ran on 2G and 3G networks, both of which had speed and capacity limitations. However, following the introduction of 4G networks in the 2010s, PTT tech started using the innovation because it offered higher data-transfer speeds and lower latency.

Groundbreaking developments

Rojat said the Paris Games are the first Olympics where the PTT service is running on an operator's current mobile network. But PTT technology has long been essential for the event.

The International Olympic Committee has used these devices to oversee athlete teams competing in events and communicate with volunteers, health and safety workers, and security teams in a simple and secure manner.

"You need push-to-talk for organization, to exchange information, and so on," Rojat said. "Instead of having a dedicated network and dedicated push-to-talk terminals, we will be using smartphones and our mobile network, which makes it easier. You don't need specific equipment."

This utilitarian setup can reduce infrastructure costs and the risk of individual hardware failures, Rojat added.

A break from the past

At previous Games, PTT services ran over a Terrestrial Trunked Radio network. TETRA is a standardized way of hosting two-way radio communications across a narrowband network.

Narrowband radio communications, where signals are broadcast over a smaller range of frequencies, have historically been used for such PTT-style communications rather than wideband frequencies because narrowband frequencies provide a stronger and clearer signal.

Outside of the Olympics, there are even greater innovations happening into PTT technology.

Earlier this year, T-Mobile and Motorola Solutions partnered to launch a push-to-talk 5G system designed specifically for emergency services in the US. That T-Mobile system uses 5G technology, rather than Orange's 4G-based one for the Olympics. And at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, the digital business solutions company NTT helped build a 5G-powered push-to-talk communications network across the airport that allows real-time communication in emergency situations.

It's possible that those trials could help PTT tech move toward 5G for future Games — which would allow for increased internet speeds and capacity, as well as more-secure communications.